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Hunting

Small game, big game, waterfowl, upland game. All game that flies through the skies, walks on the land, and lives some in both. And all of it on the wild side. We've got all the how-to savvy you need to increase your odds of success.

Latest Hunting Tips

Muzzleloader Aim: Use a Shooting Rest (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: What’s the best tip a black powder hunter can follow to insure accuracy when shooting?  Always use a rest! Using a steady support to stabilize the muzzle greatly enhances on-target bullet delivery. After proper sighting in, using a rest is the second half of the formula for hitting what you’re aiming at.
Many tree stands come equipped with shooting rails upon which hunters can take a firm rest. Or, in stands without rails, hunters should employ some system to provide a moveable, rigid rest (shooting sticks, etc.)

Muzzleloader Hunting in the Rain (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Black powder and moisture don’t mix. Wet powder won’t ignite, and many a deer hunter has been disappointed by a misfire on rainy or damp mornings.

However, there are steps that muzzleloaders can take to insure their firearms will go off when desired on those rainy days. Here are tips for “keeping your powder dry” and hunting with confidence that you will, indeed, get ignition and proper powder burn on those mornings when precipitation is falling.

Muzzleloader Safety: Preventing Double Charges (Video Included)

Muzzleloader Safety for Percussion Caps (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Percussion caps are little explosions waiting to happen. That’s their job, to detonate when struck and to ignite the powder, which propels the bullet, which strikes the target (hopefully) and results in a successful muzzleloader deer season.

Muzzleloader Accessories for the Stand (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Many deer hunters overburden themselves with clutter! They fill backpacks and vest pockets with a broad array of gear, and then they can’t locate what they want when they want it in a hurried situation.

Sighting In A Muzzleloader Rifle (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: With a muzzleloader, you usually get only one shot at a deer. If you don’t connect, he’s not going to wait around while you reload and shoot again.

How to Determine the Best Powder Load for Muzzleloader Rifles (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Each muzzleloader shoots differently. That is, you can put identical powder/bullet loads into two muzzleloader rifles and get different results in terms of energy and accuracy.  So, how does a shooter know what load is best for his rifle? He must learn this through simple trial-and-error testing on the range.

Muzzleloader Rifle Toolbox (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: It’s like a muzzleloader’s portable locker. “It” is a large plastic box containing all a muzzleloader’s supplies, tools, etc. in one convenient container. By keeping all his supplies and accessories together, a muzzleloading hunter will have everything organized and readily available when hunting season rolls around.

Any type plastic utility storage box will work. Get one with a carry handle and a removable tray. Here’s what I store in my muzzleloader toolbox.  

Muzzleloader Rifle Safety (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Safety must be the first consideration when using any firearm and a muzzleloader rifle is no exception. Standard rules of firearm safety apply. Never point your firearm’s muzzle in an unsafe direction; never shoot unless you’re sure of a safe background; always keep the safety on until you’re ready to shoot; always wear eye/ear protection when appropriate; etc.

The Muzzleloader Advantage (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: In the last two decades, many states have established special black powder deer seasons.  These seasons typically offer muzzleloader hunters several days in the woods by themselves. They frequently provide a high chance of success, and they offer many advantages to hunters who take advantage of them. For instance:

Calling Spot (Video Included)

You've got permission to hunt for wild turkeys on a large farm. Where to begin calling? Use these tips to eliminate unproductive areas and hone in on where the birds will concentrate.

Several factors go into having a successful turkey hunt, but perhaps nothing is more important than picking a good calling spot. Pick the right spot, and your chances of calling the gobbler up are good. But pick the wrong spot, and you may as well be back home in bed. Here are some things to remember when picking a spot to try to lure that tom into gun range.

Shooting Glasses (Video Included)

Ducks Dogs and Decoys: Capt. Bill Saiff of Bill Saiff Outdoors talks about Eyewear Safety and Benefits.

Rainy Day Gobbler (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Scenario: It’s raining. How do wild turkeys respond to rain, and what’s the best advice for hunting them in this condition?

Roosting Interception (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Scenario: It’s late afternoon, close to time for wild turkeys to fly up to roost. You know the area where a gobbler has been roosting. What’s the best strategy for intercepting him and calling him into shotgun range as he makes his way to his “bedroom?”

Marching Gobbler (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Scenario: It’s mid-morning, and you are “running and gunning,” covering ground quickly to locate a wild turkey gobbler. Suddenly you hear a bird, and you move in and set up. When you call, he answers, but he is farther away. You move toward him, and he gobbles again, but he’s farther still. He is gobbling at steady intervals, but despite your calls, he continues moving away. He is a “marching gobbler,” and he’s covering ground quickly looking for a hen or heading to his strut zone. What’s the best strategy for getting “up close and personal” with such a bird?